Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1887-07-08

They ate voraciously, their mouths
spread to their widest extent in an effort
to swallow the more, and their round eyes
opening and shutting with every move
ment of their jaws. The noise they
made in swallowing sounded like the
gurgling of a water pipe. As they were
thirsty as well as hungry, Berthine at
last descended to the cellar to draw them
some cider. To reach it she was obliged
to pass low vaulted chamber or cave
used, SO they said, during the revolution
as prison or place Of concealment. You
leading from the floor of the kitchen
closed by heavy door.
Berthine was gone long time to draw
the cider, and when she reappeared she
was laughing-laughing softly to herself.
Soon the soldiers had finished their
supper and were nodding around the
table. Every now and then head
would fall upon the boards with a re-
sounding thud.
"You can stretch yourselves by the
fire. if you like" said the forestiere,
kindly. "Mother and will climb to the
upper floor. y
A moment later key turned in the
| lock overhead-thore was the sound OF
footsteps ON the floor, and then-silence
With their feet to the fire and their
heads supported upon their knapsacks
| the Prussians were soon snoring loudly
They had slept perhaps an hour, when
suddenly there was the report OF gun
shot, another and ar other, loud and
near. They leaped to their feet as the
door of the stairs leading to the upper
floor was thrown open and Berthine APP
peared, bare footed, half clad and wild
with alright.
cit is the French" she cried, sat
least a hundred of them! For the love
of God, go into the cellar and make no
noise; if you do, we are l0st!'
II will, will, the officer stammered,
bewildered and excited, ''but how can we
get DOWN."
She lifted the trap in the floor, disclos-
ing the narrow stairs. and the six men
quickly disappeared. When the brim of
the last hat had vanished from sight,
Berthine replaced the oaken flap, as thick
as a wall and hard as steel, fastened ii
with a monstrous bolt and began to
laugh again, to laugh like q maniac. az
she softly danced above the heads of her
prisoners shut up in their box of stone
and as they had promised to be silent as
the tomb, knowing that they were per-
fectly secure and well supplied with all
through vent in the wall guarded by a
strong iron grating, she gave herself nc
further concern regarding them, but SET
about replenishing the fire and the pot
of soup in readiness for her fathers re-
turn.
1t was not long, however, before she
heard them stirring under her feet and the
sound of talking. Berthine listened; il
was clear that the Prussians were begin
ming to suspect the ruse and would soor
demand release She was not mistaken
for moment later some one stumbled
up the winding stairs and began to bea
upon the trap with his fists. "Open t.
toor; open it, l say shouted the voic
of the officer, ''or I'll preak it in!'
"Preak it in, my good man" Berthln
answered tauntingly, mimicking hi
broken accent: 'preak it in, by a
means' But the effort was useless; thei
fists. the butt ends of their muskets an
all their kicks and poundings were pc"
erless to release them; that door was stou
enough to have defied a catapult. Cor
WINGED Of this ct last they again descende
, and once moro all was silence, broke
| only by the ticking of the clock on tn
mantel shelf. As the hands pointed
the midnight hour distant baying we
n heard in tho forest and the young woma
arose and opened the door. The figure
+ of man and the two enormous dos
t were approaching across the snow.
n "Do not pass before the vent hol
father" said she, as soon as he was ne;
c enough to hear her; there are Prussial
) In the cellar.
e ''Prussans in the cellar!" Nichols
It Pichon replied astounded. ''Prussians
the cellar, What are they doing in IL
l. cellar child? Tell me, quick
l. sThey are the same you saw yeste
day." she responded. "They were
l. the forest and are in the cellar now b
1t cause put them there, ~ and she pr
N ceeded to tell him how she had brighten,
ID them by firing off the old revolver al
ID then, through fear, Gagged them in u
e unused prison hole.
to "As soon as you have eaten, father
he she continued, ''you must return al
bring the ma or commandant and t
:" troops; he will be very happy to recel
+" the prisoners.
h, The old man agreed, and taking
a. seat at the table eagerly consumed
soup while Berthine attended to the dos
I'd and twenty minutes from the time
their arrival they were on their way ba
he to Rethel tho forestiere waiting alone.
IT. The prisoners had once more co
it. mcnced their uproar, cursing, shout
and beating their guns against the wa
ne of the prison hole. AT last they began
he fire through the grating, doubtless hopi
70 to attract the attention of some passi
Ter detachment which might chance to be
n: tho neighborhood Borthine paid no
mt tention to the noise, however, save
do caution her mother to remain in
laf chamber; but wicked anger took p
zen session of her and she would cheerful
have murdered them, if only to kt
his them quiet.
he Her father had now been gone an he